Rönesans Holding - “A Holistic Approach to Gender Equality” Conference

How should women experiencing violence be supported in working life?

We heard about a wide range of initiatives to support women in the workplace, from policies to combat domestic violence to programmes that improve women’s access to healthcare, at the conference titled “A Holistic Approach to Gender Equality” organised by Rönesans Holding.

Many panels and meetings were held during the week of International Women’s Day on 8 March. One of them was the “A Holistic Approach to Gender Equality” Conference, led by Rönesans Holding.

At the event, several key questions stood out:

• To what extent should workplaces address problems women experience within the home or family?
• How does the life of a woman change when she receives support against violence in the workplace?
• How can workplace training programmes influence even men who believe they already hold the most egalitarian views?
• How do unhappiness and a lack of self-confidence among young men contribute to increased violence and discrimination?
• What kind of change can be created through projects that promote the idea that professions have no gender in order to increase women’s employment?
• How does expanding women’s access to career opportunities support economic development?
• How does knowing they are not alone and refusing to give up in the face of challenges transform women’s lives?

These issues were discussed at the event, which opened with remarks by İpek Ilıcak Kayaalp, Chair of the Board of Rönesans Holding. Kayaalp reminded the audience that Rönesans employs more than 40,000 people and operates across 40 countries. “In a single year, we reach more than 200 million people. Half of this sphere of impact consists of women. That means our responsibility is significant,” she said.

Ilıcak Kayaalp noted that contributing to the empowerment of women in both working life and society is one of the most meaningful responsibilities the company carries. She continued: “To fulfil this responsibility, we work together with United Nations agencies, financing partners and civil society organisations, addressing equality within a holistic framework and implementing it through a participatory culture. We are an organisation founded in the construction sector. We come from a sector long believed to be resistant to change. Yet today, women represent 50% of the board of our publicly listed company. This year we are also raising female representation on the holding company’s board to 50%. Our ratio of women in management stands at 49%. Across the group, the proportion of women employees continues to increase each year, and we are above the global sector average. These figures make me very proud. They are extremely important to us, and we monitor them closely, although we know there is still further progress to be made.”

Ilıcak Kayaalp also emphasised that achieving targeted ratios of women managers and employees is not sufficient in itself. “Numbers alone have little meaning in places where women do not feel safe. That is why we have adopted the Domestic Violence Policy developed in collaboration with Business Against Domestic Violence (BADV),” she said.

Both women and men received HPV vaccinations

Ilıcak Kayaalp also stated that nearly 19,000 employees and stakeholders have received training on preventing gender based violence and promoting equality. As part of this initiative, a range of support mechanisms have been introduced, including free psychological and legal counselling, financial support, administrative leave, hybrid working options and security measures. She added that the hospitals operated by the group have provided services to 90 million patients to date, 54 million of whom are women. In addition to technological investments in women’s health, HPV vaccinations have been offered to both female and male employees.

Professions have no gender

In Rönesans Holding’s projects, gender equality is tested not only in office corridors but also on construction sites and production lines. Within this framework, the Welding Training Programme in Ceyhan has reached 560 participants, with female graduates now working in various institutions in Türkiye and Europe.

The company’s 12 shopping centres across Türkiye attract around 114 million visitors annually and provide sales and visibility opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Through initiatives such as the Women’s Labour Festival organised in Kahramanmaraş, support has also been provided for 400 women, particularly those affected by the earthquake, to establish their own businesses.

In the earthquake region, more than 45,000 women and children have also received psychosocial support and access to education through partnerships with UNFPA, UNICEF and the Foundation for the Support of Civil Society. “Women and children bear the heaviest burden in times of crisis,” Ilıcak Kayaalp said, identifying this area as one of the company’s priority responsibilities.

Sharing the responsibility equally

Speaking at the conference, Mariam Khan, Türkiye Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), emphasised that empowering women in working life is not only a matter of rights but also a foundation for economic growth.

She highlighted the importance of balancing family and career responsibilities, sharing care responsibilities equally, and recognising domestic violence as a workplace issue.

Examples from the private sector and civil society

The conference also hosted the panel “A Holistic Approach to Gender Equality: Private Sector-NGO-Academia-IFI Collaboration”. Panellists included Esen Özdemir of Sabancı University and Project Manager at Business Against Domestic Violence (BADV), Özen Tümer, Country Lead for Gender Equality and Economic Inclusion at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Evren Sesli, Member of the Board of Rönesans Holding, and Evrim Atalas, Director of Sustainability and Environment at Rönesans Holding. The panel was moderated by Cansu Canan Özgen.

Source: Elif Ergu Demiral / Gazete Oksijen